Increased missile speeds have brought about fuzing problems of a significant magnitude. The current and prior art proposed systems, such as those which rely on nuclear radiation techniques to bring about detection, are replete with problems. Inherently, nuclear radiation techniques are plagued by the problem of handling radioactive material needed to obtain sufficient neutron bombardment of an approaching target or the provision of sufficient high velocity beta particles.
Other approaches have suggested themselves, such as the reliance on near field phenomena which employs magnetic balance or electrostatic balance systems. The principal disadvantage of these systems lies in the requirement that the system be very delicately balanced to permit a relatively minor disturbance at only ten feet. In addition, prior art microwave systems have not been able to provide sufficient range resolution to be trustworthy.
Optical systems suffer from inability to reasonably detect range, from high probability of false alarms on clouds and on the sun, and from inability to operate satisfactorily at night.
Infrared systems suffer from difficulties in determining range and from jamming by the sun.
In pulsed and CW radar systems presently used for imminent collision detection, the separation of signals reflected from objects within the specified range from spurious signals requires complex equipment, with relatively complicated adjustments required to change the range of interest.
The invention to be described hereinafter is unparalleled in its efficiency, compactness of size, and its resistance to countermeasures.